Pole lamp for trucks and trailers



July 7, 1970 D. s. HENNING ET AL 3,519,293

POLE LAMP FOR TRUCKS AND TRAILERS Filed April 5, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTORS l m'zazd 5. HE'TZTLIZ'Z United States Patent ()1 :"fice3,519,293 POLE LAMP FOR TRUCKS AND TRAILERS Donald S. Henning,Thiensville, and Llano L. Smith,

Milwaukee, Wis., assignors to Phoenix Products Company, Inc., Milwaukee,Wis., a corporation of Wiscousin Filed Apr. 3, 1969, Ser. No. 812,977Int. Cl. F16b 7/14 U.S. Cl. 287 -58 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREfrom the exterior of the upper pole section.

This invention relates to pole lamps and has more particular referenceto industrial type pole lamps such as are especially suited forilluminating the interiors of the bodies of trucks, trailers, rail cars,and other freight carriers wherein cargo is supported on a rigid floor,under a rigid roof.

Since the ceiling heights of trucks, trailers and rail cars are apt tovary substantially, it is one of the objects of this invention toprovide a pole lamp which is readily lengthwise adjustable over anexceptionally wide range to enable it to be used for the illumination ofthe interiors of truck, trailer, or rail car bodies despite widevariation in their size.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a pole lampfeaturing improved latch means for re leasably holding the pole in anyof its positions of lengthwise adjustment.

With these observations and objects in mind, the mannor in which theinvention achieves its purpose will be appreciated from the followingdescription and the accompanying drawings. This disclosure is intendedmerely to exemplify the invention. The invention is not limited to theparticular structure or method disclosed, and changes can be madetherein which lie within the scope of the appended claims withoutdeparting from the invention.

The drawings illustrate one complete example of the physical embodimentof the invention constructed according to the best mode so far devisedfor the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pole lamp embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the lamp seen in FIG.

1, but illustrating the same adjusted to its shortest length;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the poleadjusted to maximum length;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are fragmentary sectional views, at an enlarged scale,showing details of construction.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, thenumeral 10 generally designates a light head assembly which forms a partof the pole lamp of this invention. The light head assembly is mountedon the upper section 11 of a pair of elongated upper and lower polesections 11 and 12. The lower pole section 12 provides a leg for theassembly, and it can have a foot 13 of rubber-like materials thereon tohold it against slippage along the floor of a truck or the like.

The upper pole section 11 is provided by an elongated tubular member ofsquare cross section, and it can have a pad 14 of rubber-like materialat its top to prevent slippage thereof along a ceiling with which thepole is en- 3,519,293 Patented July 7, 1970 gaged. Preferably, the pad14 has a cup-like shape so that it can accommodate to slanted or unevenceiling surfaces. The upper pole section 11 is telescopically engagedover an elongated inner tubular member 15, likewise of square crosssection to preclude rotation of either tubular member relative to theother about their common longitudinal axis.

The inner tubular member 15 is only slightly smaller in its crosssectional dimension than the upper tubular pole section 11 telescopedover it, so that their adjacent wall surfaces are disposed in contiguousrelation to one another. The bottom end of the upper pole section has awasher 17 fixed thereto for engagement with the bottom end 18 of theinner tubular member 15 to define the upper limit of motion of the upperpole section 11. The.

central hole 19 in the washer, of course, slidingly accommodates thelower pole section 12.

The leg or lower pole section 12 comprises an elongated tube of circularcross section that extends upwardly into the lower portion of the upperpole section 11 and into the interior of the inner tubular member 15. Ithas the aforementioned foot 13 secured to its bottom, and it has a plug20 secured in its upper end. A flange 21 on the plug extends over thetop of the tube to provide a flat bottom seat for a helical compressionspring 22 that is confined in the interior of the inner tubular member15. The other end of the spring engages against the underside of asquare cross section plug 23 that is secured in the inner tubular member15 by a pin 24, at a location near to but spaced from the top of saidmember.

The spring 22, of course, at all times exerts force on the lower polesection 12 tending to propel it downwardly out of the lower end of theinner tubular member. The lowermost position of the leg or bottom polesection 12 with respect to the inner tubular member 15 is defined by theengagement of the overhanging edge portions of the flange 21 at the topof the lower pole section with an upwardly facing internal abutment 26on the inner tubular member 15. The abutment 26 is spaced a substantialdistance from the bottom end 18 of the inner tubular member, and itcomprises the upper end of a length of circular cross section tubing 27that is fixed to the inner tubular member 15, in its interior, and isclosely slidingly telescoped over the upper end portion of the leg orbottom pole section 12. Hence, the tubing 27 not only reinforces thelower end portion of the inner tubular member 15, but it also provides astabilizing guide for the lower pole section 12, engaging over asufficient length thereof to prevent sidewise wobbling motion thereof inany position of lengthwise adjustment of the lower pole sectionpermitted by the spring 22 and the cooperating stops 21, 26. This isimportant, since in use, the leg or lower pole section will alwaysoccupy a position displaced upwardly from that seen in FIG. 4, and inwhich it loads the spring so that the force thereof can be utilized inholding the pole in place between a floor surface and the ceilingthereabove.

The upper pole section 11 can be held in any of a great number ofpositions of height adjustment along the length of the inner tubularmember 15. For this purpose, it is provided with a multiplicity ofuniformly spaced apart holes 29 in one flat side thereof, into anyselected one of which the pin 30 of a latch device is engageable to holdthe vertical adjustment of the upper pole section.

The pin 30 is yielding biased toward an operative position by springmeans which can be of any suitable type. The U-shaped leaf spring 31shown in the drawings is one example of a biasing means that will servethe purpose; and it has the important further advantage that it is selfsupporting. It is mounted inside the upper end portion of the innertubular member 15, above the spring seat 23 therein, with its bightportion lowermost. The pin is secured to one arm 33 of the spring in anysuitable manner, as by a screw 32, and the spring normally holds the pinprojected outwardly into a selected hole 29 in the upper pole section11, through a hole 34 in the adjacent side of the inner tubular member15 with which said selected hole registers. The other arm of theU-shaped spring is disposed fiatwise against the opposite wall of theinner tubular member, in good frictional contact therewith.

Because the arms of the spring 31 tend to spread apart, the spring holdsitself in place, and the arm 33 at all times yieldingly resists inwarddisplacement of the pin 30 from any hole 29 in which it is engaged. Thepin, of course, must be depressed to disengage it from the selected hole29 before the upper pole section can be adjusted lengthwise relative tothe inner tubular member 15.

It is one of the more important features of the invention that, forsafety reasons, the upper pole section is adjustable in only relativelysmall increments. This results from the fact that the pin 30 isprojectable automatically by its spring 31 into any hole 29 that isbrought into register with the hole 34 in which the pin is alwaysengaged. As soon as the pin 30 is depressed by an operator, the operatorhas no more control over it and the pin will be projected outwardly intoanother hole 29 during height adjustment of the upper pole section, tostop such adjustment without any effort on the part of the operator.Accordingly, the upper pole section cannot be dropped accidentallythrough its entire range of adjustment, as can happen when a latchdevice equivalent to the spring pressed pin is mounted on the outside ofthe upper pole section where it can be controlled by the operator andheld in an inactive condition at his option.

If desired, cleats 37 can be welded to the exterior of the upper polesection 11, at vertically spaced locations, to provide for looping anelectric supply cord (not shown) thereabout, for compact storage of thecord.

From the foregoing description, together with the accompanying drawings,it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that thisinvention provides an improved pole lamp featuring safe adjustability ofits upper pole section throughout an exceptionally wide range.

What is claimed as our invention is:

1. A pole lamp wherein a spring yieldingly resists endwiseretractingmovement of a lower pole member into a tubular upper polemember from a defined partially extended position of the lower polemember, characterized by:

(A) an elongated inner tubular member which is closely slidably mountedwithin the tubular upper pole member with its lower end portiontelescoped over the upper end portion of the lower pole member;

(B) cooperating abutments on the inner tubular member and on the lowerpole member to prevent displacement of the latter out of the lower endportion of the former;

(C) cooperating stops on the lower ends of the inner and upper tubularmembers engageable with one another to define the lowermost position ofthe inner tubular member within the upper tubular member;

(D) a spring seat member fixed inside the inner tubular member andspaced from the upper end thereof and from the top of the lower polemember to receive said spring therebetween;

(E) the inner tubular member having a single hole in its wall;

(F) the upper tubular member having a number of holes in its wall thatcan be individually brought into registry with said single hole indilferent positions of the upper tubular member lengthwise of the innertubular member;

(G) a U-shapcd leaf spring confined in the inner tubular member with itsopposite arms extending lengthwise thereof and tending to spread apart;

'(H) a pin fixed to one of said arms to be releasably held thereby in anoperative position engaged in said single hole and projecting outwardlythrough a selected registering hole of the upper tubular member tomaintain its adjustment lengthwise of the inner tubular member;

(I) and said inner and upper tubular members having a square crosssection so as to be non-rotatable relative to one another about theircommon longitudinal axis.

2. A pole lamp wherein a spring yieldingly resists endwise retractingmovement of a lower pole member into a tubular upper pole member from adefined extended position of the lower pole member, characterized by:

(A) an elongated inner tubular member having at all times its entirelength confined within and closely slidably positioned in the tubularupper pole member and which has it lower end portion slidably telescopedover an upper end portion of the lower pole member received within theupper pole member, in all extended positions of the lower pole member;

(B) cooperating stops on the lower ends of said inner and upper tubularmembers engageable with one another inside the upper pole member todefine the lowermost position of the inner tubular member within theupper pole member;

(C) cooperating abutments on said inner tubular member and on the lowerpole member to prevent displacement of the latter out of the lower endportion of the former;

(D) a spring seat member fixed inside said inner member and spaced fromthe upper end thereof and from the top of the lower pole member toreceive said spring therebetween;

(E) and cooperating means on said tubular members for releasably holdingthe upper pole member in any of a multiplicity of positions ofadjustment along the length of the inner tubular member.

3. The pole lamp of claim 2,.further characterized by said cooperatingmeans comprising:

(A) a multiplicity of spaced apart holes in the wall of said uppertubular member;

(B) a single. hole in the wall of the inner tubular member adapted toregister selectively with any of the holes in said upper tubular member;

(C) and a spring biased pin internally carried by said inner tubularmember and projectable outwardly by its spring through said single holeand any registering hole of said multiplicity of holes to releasablyhold the tubular members against relative endwise movement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,278,100 9/ 1918 Bruning.2,225,889 12/ 1940 Rubenstein. 2,777,692 1/ 1957 Marzucco 248-408 XR2,903,227 9/ 1959 DeKalb Key 248-356 3,161,264 12/1964 Isaacson.3,347,575 10/ 1967 Morris.

FOREIGN PATENTS 930,073 7/ 1947 France. 167,805 3/ 1951 Austria.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner A. KUNDRAT, Assistant ExaminerU.S. Cl. X.R. 248-356

